the_wiki_of_noobfandomcom-20200215-history
User blog:Cfp3157/Film Review: "Mary Poppins Returns" with the Lessons Everyone Needed to Learn
With a good-natured wink and mischievous smile, Mary Poppins has returned in a truly glorious and rapturous way with Rob Marshall's sequel Mary Poppins Returns. Easily escaping the shadow of the iconic first film to become its own brand new product, the newest musical about a flying nanny and the Banks family brings with it a dynamic cast, phenomenal musical numbers, luxurious design, and a heartwarming, inspiring story to end the year with enough happiness and joy to engage with the world. The Cast Carrying a large ensemble that litters itself with cameos aplenty, Mary Poppins Returns sees that the musical numbers and stories it tells are about a well-rounded crew of characters. Dick Van Dyke, Meryl Streep, and especially Angela Lansburg all provide plum moments that inspire a blissful bit of nostalgia but never overstay their welcome. Lin Manuel-Miranda, despite an iffy English accent, brings the lightning rod sense of charisma that let him succeed in Broadway to the big screen to light it ablaze as he effortlessly sings, dances, and raps to glory. The entire Banks family also makes for a rounded and fantastic ensemble, with the three children portrayed by Pixie Davis, Joel Dawson, and especially Nathanael Saleh all infusing their characters with certain quirks and charms to make them standout. Emily Mortimer plays a more limited but nonetheless influential role as Jane, while Ben Whishaw gets to show his wide range as the film's dramatic core in Michael. Undeniably the star of the film, Emily Blunt gives the world a truly divine gift of performance in her career best role as Mary Poppins. While certainly playing homage to the original, Blunt truly makes the character her own as she plays a much more fun yet serious nanny. With a different lesson to teach the family- and the audience- Blunt captures her enthusiasm and glee with effectiveness and deft skill, while also maintaining Poppins' core heart of nurturing guidance that makes the character so beloved in the first place. Score: 5 out of 5 The Script "We're on the brink of an adventure! Don't spoil it with too many questions." With this line, Mary Poppins adequately and wonderfully summarizes the very nature of this story. Unabashedly a musical, the plot of this film is relatively tame and serves as a powerful but noticeable thread simply to connect one musical number to the next. However, that's a mechanical flaw that David Magee, Rob Marshall, and John DeLuca all easily overcome with a tale that is determined to provide a tonic of optimism and love to give to the audience that's sweet as sugar. Three decades after her last visit, Mary Poppins arrives once again on a windy day to 17 Cherry Tree Lane to help the now grown-up Michael and Jane Banks. The latter is a union organizer, and the former is now a banker with three self-sufficient children of his own. Mary Poppins returns just when the Banks need her the most, with Michael's wife passed away recently and the family under immense financial strain. With the help of lamplighter Jack, apprentice to her old friend Burt, and a collage of other characters, Mary Poppins once again reminds teaches the both sets of Banks children vital life lessons in her own magical way. The script tackles a multitude of important little subjects and themes with a deft hand and a lovely presentation, with a narrative that surprisingly never feels overstuffed and always done with the right tone. Not just content to be about sweetness however, Mary Poppins Returns is littered with anecdotes and setpieces that offer invaluable advice on loss, grief, perspective, and innocence. Score: 4.5 out of 5 The Direction Rob Marshall proves himself to be the true master of the modern musical with his latest endeavor as a director in Mary Poppins Returns cementing it. He knows how to craft the songs and dances for film, with his cinematographer Dion Beebe accompanying him and the audience through 1930's London and the realms of Mary Poppins with gusto and delight. This is accompanied by adequate editing by Wyatt Smith, who makes an admittedly long film breeze by with ease. The crafts team for the film is beyond amazing, effortlessly creating one of the technical marvels of the year. Sandy Powell's costumes are luxurious and lush with color, while the production design by John Myhre truly creates the world they live in. This analysis alone ignores the sheer magnitude of the visual effects team, who unimaginably blend CGI, live-action, and hand-drawn animation in ways that will leave audiences utterly dumbfounded. Needless to say, the music is nothing short of phenomenal. Marc Shaiman's score references the original but arguably surpasses it in terms of truly hitting the emotional beats and phrases, while the tracklist is beyond astounding. "Can You Imagine That?", "A Conversation", "Turning Turtle", and "Nowhere to Go But Up" all have a unique, important purpose while remaining toe-tapping and grin inducing. The two best songs are both equally fantastic for different reasons; "Trip A Little Light Fantastic" is a Broadway musical number that brings the world and film to life in astounding ways, while "The Place Where Lost Things Go" is a serious but utterly delightful story beat that truly hones in on what the film has to say. Score: 5 out of 5 Final Verdict Every single note and pitch is hit spot-on in Mary Poppins Returns, with not a single faltering performance or aspect. The film is bubbling with joy, hope, and optimism, demanding nothing of its audience except to sit back and enjoy the fantastical world that Rob Marshall and Emily Blunt seek to create. The performances are dynamic, the creation is rapturous, and the story is paradoxically timely and immortal in the total lack of topicality to it. With no other way to state it, Mary Poppins Returns is the reason that audiences go to the movies. Score: 97% Potential Ballot Spots: *Best Picture *Best Lead Actress - Emily Blunt *Best Supporting Actor - Ben Whishaw (in a weaker year) *Best Adapted Screenplay (in a weaker year) *Best Cinematography (in a weaker year) *Best Visual Effects *Best Original Score *Best Production Design *Best Costume Design *Best Makeup & Hairstyling (in a weaker year) *Best Ensemble Cast *Best Original Song - The entire soundtrack Category:Blog posts Category:2018 Reviews Category:Reviews